Closing the loop for plastic fiber waste requires ingenuity and perseverance, as demonstrated by the Healix team. Marcel Alberts, founder of Healix, on baler twine. Courtesy of Healix.
Healix transforms used ropes, nets, and other plastic fiber waste into certified polymers for the global manufacturing supply chain.
You can also read: The Fashion Industry Needs an Alternative to Recycled PET.
Committed to solving the plastic problem, Healix takes advantage of the concept of circular value chains. They retrieve, recycle, and return plastic.
The start-up partners with waste management companies and NGOs, such as The Ocean Cleanup and A.D.I.VALOR, to retrieve plastic fiber waste. Then, using their advanced hydrodynamic surface friction purification technology, they “literally wash each filament,” explains Marcel Alberts, Founder of Healix. They open the rope or net structure to remove contaminants such as sand, salt, and organic residue without using detergents. Afterward, they use their “Erema extrusion technology, with its double filtration system,” to gradually melt the dried fiber. Then, they shape it into a die and pelletize it for easier transport and processing.
Erema extrusion technology. Courtesy of Healix.
With his patented purification process, Marcel and his team currently produce eight different types of cleaner recycled polymers. They range from PP and HDPE to LDPE.
Like every company, Healix has faced various challenges in achieving its current goals. One of the biggest challenges is “dealing with highly contaminated marine and agricultural plastic waste.” Marcel stated it “required extensive R&D to optimize cleaning protocols without compromising material quality.” Moreover, scaling up their process while maintaining energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness has also been challenging.
Even so, Healix is recognized as a First-Of-A-Kind (FOAK) recycling line with a nameplate capacity of 6,000 tons. This demonstrates its resilience and commitment to closing the loop.
Successful case studies highlight the Healix team’s endeavors, such as their collaboration with Schoeller Allibert and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP). They “supplied recycled polymers from discarded tulip nets, enabling the creation of 97% recycled plastic crates for Coca-Cola bottles in their iconic red color.”
“This project not only demonstrated the quality of our recycled material but also contributed to reducing CO₂ emissions and fossil plastic use,” explained Marcel.
Tulip nets recycling. Courtesy of Healix.
Encouraged by their achievements, Healix will continue contributing to the global supply chain. They plan to develop a new big bag recycling line to improve economics and manufacture advanced compounds to enhance polymer properties. Furthermore, they will implement blockchain technology to track the plastic lifecycle and ensure supply chain transparency.
They will also continue creating partnerships with providers, technology companies, industry leaders, and institutional partners. They stated that these alliances are key across their value chain.
Healix is an example of how the circular economy can help tackle the global plastic waste crisis. They focused on a problem and created a solution that added value to the environment and the industry.
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